Portable file cabinet with drawer

ABSTRACT

A storage box having a slideably retained drawer under the main storage portion of the storage box. The drawer is provided with compartments sized to retain items useful in conjunction with the contents of the main storage portion. The storage box may be provided with a cover hingedly and latchably attached to and covering the main storage area. A cover may also be provided for the drawer. Any portion of the box, most particularly the covers, may be made of a transparent material such that the contents thereof may be viewed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.60/822,721, filed Aug. 17, 2006.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention is in the field of portable filing boxes provided with aspace for a drawer to be slid into a slot in the box.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Disclosed and claimed herein is storage box comprising a plurality ofessentially vertical walls and a horizontal bottom wall defining a fileretention space a drawer slot under the bottom wall of the fileretention space, the drawer slot comprising a rear wall and a pluralityof side walls. A drawer is slidably retained in the drawer slot; thedrawer comprising one or more compartments sized to fit items useful incombination with the contents of the file retention space. The drawercan be slideably engaged with the drawer slot by a retaining means. Theretaining means may be a horizontal drawer slot bottom wall and/or a ribformed along an inside surface of each side walls.

The storage box and the drawer slot walls can be arranged such that theweight of the storage box does not prevent the drawer from beingoperated when the storage box is resting on a surface.

The storage box may also have a removable cover engagable with thevertical walls and disposed over the entirety of the file retentionspace. One or more hinges may be used to attach a top edge of onevertical wall to the cover. Latch means for securely latching the coverto at least one vertical wall may also be utilized.

A cover may also be disposed over the drawer. This drawer cover may betransparent and can be slideable retained by the drawer. Alternatively,the drawer cover may simply be disposed over the drawer or attached tothe drawer by hinges.

SUMMARY OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a front, top and left side perspective view of the storage boxof the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front, top and left side perspective view of the storage boxof the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a front, top and left side perspective view of the storage boxof the present invention with the cover open;

FIG. 4 is a front, top and left side perspective view of the storage boxof the present invention with the drawer slid out;

FIG. 5 is a front and left side perspective detail view of the storagebox of the present invention with the drawer slid partially out; and

FIG. 6 is a rear, top and left side perspective view of the storage boxof the present invention with the cover open and drawer slid out.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

A portable filing box 10 comprises a storage space or file retentionspace 12 defined by a plurality of walls 14. The portable filing box maybe provided with a cover 16 having a handle 18. Cover 16 is disposedover the entirety of file retention space 12 and may be attached to onewall by one or more hinges 20. Cover 16 may be securable to one or moreother walls by a hinged clasp 22 or similar securement/latch device. Theperiphery 24 of cover 16 may engage the top of each wall 14 around theentirety of file retention space 12.

File retention space 12 has a vertical depth defined by walls 14 and mayinclude a bottom wall (not shown). In a preferred embodiment, fileretention space 12 has a width and breadth such that files of twodifferent sizes may be accommodated. That is, the width of the fileretention space may be chosen so as to accommodate legal size files andthe breadth of the file retention space may be chosen so as toaccommodate letter size files. File hanging rails 11 may be providedadjacent the file retention space walls to allow hanging files to beaccommodated, as best disclosed in FIG. 3.

Underneath the file retention space 12 and the bottom wall thereof,there is provided a set of slot walls. The slot walls comprise at leastone set of slot side walls 30 and may optionally be provided with a slotrear wall 32 and slot bottom wall (not shown). The bottom wall of thefile retention space and at least the slot side walls 30 define a drawerslot 34. Drawer slot 34 can also be defined by slot rear wall 32 and anslot bottom wall. Drawer 36 is sized to fit into drawer slot 34. Slotrear wall 32 need not necessarily be adjacent the rear file retentionspace wall. If drawer 36 is smaller than the bottom wall of the fileretention space, slot rear wall 32 may be located between the front andrear file retention space walls, extending from the underside of thefile retention space bottom wall.

Drawer 36 comprises one or more compartments 42, sized to fit variousitems that might be useful in combination with the contents of the fileretention space. For example, if the file retention space is used tohold paperwork, the drawer compartments 42 may be adapted to hold pens,paper clips, sticky notes etc. The dividers 44 defining the compartments42 may also be adjustable to provide for alteration of the sizes of thecompartments in accordance with a users particular needs.

There is also interaction between the drawer and features associatedwith the drawer walls. If the optional slot bottom wall is provided,this slot bottom wall can support the drawer 36. Optionally a rib 38 onthe slot side walls 30 may be provided to interact with either a lip 40on the upper edge of drawer 36 or with the bottom 46 of drawer 36. Theinteraction of the drawer lip 40 or drawer bottom 46 and rib 38 willprovide support in retaining the drawer in drawer slot 34. Typically,the slot side walls 30 bear the weight of the portable filing box 10.This being the case, it will be possible to slide drawer 36 in and outof drawer slot 34 even when the filing box 10 is resting on a surface.Drawer 36 may also be retained in slot 34 by interference between theback wall 48 of the drawer and a front slot wall 50. Thus, when slid outto a certain point front slot wall 50 prevents drawer 36 from being slidany further by blocking drawer back wall 48.

In a preferred embodiment, a clear plastic cover may be provided overdrawer 36 and be attached to various portions of the drawer, e.g.hingedly or by latches. Such a clear plastic cover would enable drawer36 to be removed completely from drawer slot 34 while minimizing thelikelihood of spilling the contents of drawer 36.

While the particular example of the present invention as shown anddescribed, it is understood, therefore, that this invention is notlimited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but it is intended tocover variations and modifications of the structures, characteristicsand principles within the spirit and scope of the present invention asdefined by the appended claims.

1. A storage box comprising: a. a plurality of essentially verticalwalls and a horizontal bottom wall defining a file retention space; b. adrawer slot under the bottom wall of the file retention space, thedrawer slot comprising and a plurality of side walls; and c. a drawerslidably retained in the drawer slot.
 2. The storage box of claim 1, thedrawer comprising one or more compartments sized to fit items useful incombination with the contents of the file retention space.
 3. Thestorage box of claim 1 further comprising: a. drawer retaining means forretaining the drawer in slideable engagement with the drawer slot. 4.The storage box of claim 3 wherein the drawer retaining means is ahorizontal drawer slot bottom wall.
 5. The storage box of claim 3wherein the drawer retaining means is a rib formed along an insidesurface of each side walls.
 6. The storage box of claim 1 wherein thedrawer slot walls support the weight of the storage box thus allowingthe drawer to be operated when the storage box is resting on a surface.7. The storage box of claim 1 further comprising: a. a removable coverengagable with the vertical walls and disposed over the entirety of thefile retention space, the cover having a handle.
 8. The storage box ofclaim 7 further comprising: a. at least one hinge attached adjacent atop edge of one vertical wall and attached to the cover.
 9. The storagebox of claim 7 further comprising: a. latch means for securely latchingthe cover to at least one vertical wall.
 10. The storage box of claim 1further comprising: a. a drawer cover disposed over the compartments.11. The storage box of claim 10 wherein the drawer cover is at leastsemi-transparent.
 12. A storage box comprising: a. four walls extendingapproximately perpendicularly from a bottom wall, the four walls andbottom wall defining a storage space; b. drawer retention means attachedto the bottom wall; and c. a drawer slideably retained by the drawerretention means under the bottom wall.
 13. The storage box of claim 12wherein the drawer retention means is a horizontal drawer slot bottomwall.
 14. The storage box of claim 12 wherein the drawer retaining meansis a rib formed along an inside surface of a plurality of slot sidewalls.
 15. The storage box of claim 12 wherein the drawer retentionmeans supports the weight of the storage box thus allowing the drawer tobe operated when the storage box is resting on a surface.
 16. Thestorage box of claim 12 further comprising: b. a removable coverengagable with the four walls and disposed over the entirety of thestorage space.
 17. The storage box of claim 16 further comprising: a. atleast one hinge attached adjacent a top edge of one wall and attached tothe cover.
 18. The storage box of claim 16 further comprising: a. latchmeans for securely latching the cover to at least one wall.
 19. Astorage box comprising: a. a plurality of side walls extendingperpendicularly from a horizontal bottom wall, the side walls and bottomwall defining a retention space; b. a drawer slot under the bottom wall,the drawer slot comprising a plurality of drawer side walls extendingessentially perpendicularly away from the bottom wall and away from theretention space side walls; c. a drawer slidably retained in the drawerslot, the drawer comprising one or more compartments sized to fit itemsuseful in combination with the contents of the file retention space; d.a cover engaging a top edge of each of the plurality of side walls; e. ahinge attached adjacent a top edge of one side wall and an edge of thecover; and f. latch means for attaching the cover to one side wall. 20.The storage box of claim 19 further comprising: a. a drawer coverdisposed over the compartments.
 21. The storage box of claim 20 whereinthe drawer cover is at least partially transparent.